Committed to building a new 440 for my car. How to choose a block?

[Spyder]

I'll be having lots of questions, more than I already have .This will be the first build from the bottom up I've done. The car currently has a 440 in it with what I assume is a good block as I've been driving it all of last summer, but just found metal flake in the oil. No audible knocks yet but I'm sure they're coming.

There's a couple of 440 blocks in my area on marketplace for widely varying prices, from 250 bucks for two of them to over a grand for a stripped one. I've read the 440 Source block info page, as well as a bunch of other resources on it and it seems pretty clear that exactly which block I get doesn't really matter that much as it will get an all new rotating assembly and heads. I don't intend to build some monster race engine, just a nice well built short block with a 440 Source stroker kit (have also ready a lot on 500 v. 512, and the 512 seems to make slightly more sense?).

Ideally, I'd leave the current engine in the car so I can move it in and out of the garage while working on other projects, until the new motor is ready to put in. If I just grab one of the low cost blocks off of marketplace, what are the odds that it will be a bad one or unusable or undesirable? If I could pick up a couple hundred dollar block and take that one to the machine shop, instead of pulling the current engine out and taking that, what should I be thinking or looking for? If I can find a good low cost block to drop off at the machine shop, I figure once it's done and in the car the current engine in the car will go to the shop and be prepped and I'll rebuild it also as low cost spare so I'm never in this conundrum again. (I'll also be looking for a 58-60 D-100 or old B body to put it in, but that's down the road a ways)

You guys have WAY more skill knowledge and experience than I do, so any guidance is greatly appreciated. I've talked to the machine shop nearest me and they said a 3-4 week turnaround from delivery of block to pickup and ready for assembly. I've got the money set aside for the machine work and the 440 Source kit, and I will have time off work in March and early April to work on it if I can figure out a plan and get a block picked up and delivered to the shop in the next couple of weeks.

 

[pschlosser]

A few thoughts, some may be off the mark.

You may want to invest in some tools to measure the cylinder bores and crankshaft bearing areas, and learn how to measure these for yourself. Because if you're going to rely on a seller to tell you if the block is any good or not, you may get taken to the cleaners.

Buying a block you cannot inspect, yourself, or have inspected by someone you trust, is another high risk scenario. Where do those unusable, too far gone, slightly cracked engine blocks go? Now adays, they end up on Amazon marketplace!

On a full engine rebuild, using new stroker parts, I would want some basic things done to any block by a machine shop. So one way or another, the block will be inspected by more than one person, and prepared for the rebuild.

You may have to buy more than one block before you can get to this point, but with a little knowledge, and a modest budget, you can get there. And from there, 440 source will sell you parts to match the bore of your engine, so the ball will be really far down field just with these two basic phases.

Rushing the process puts you at greater risk of being taken.

If you care what year the block was originally made for, this is another factor that may limit what you buy.

The long and short of it, is you'll start developing a list of questions you want answered about any block you're considering, before you plunk down you $$$ on a block. You'll also be learning what the answers to those questions tell you.

 

[Xcudame]

You want a block that has the thickest cylinder walls. Std bore is golden, .030" over is OK if it cleans to . 040". For any 440 block and I don't care which year between 66 and 78, that needs to go .060" over bore needs to be sonic checked for core shift. I have a Starrett bore mic, God only knows what they cost now! You can get buy with a set of snap gauges and calipers. Get name brand like Starrett or Mitutoyo (Japanese is better than Chinese)! Also pay to have the block checked for cracks. Mopar blocks are tough. High nickel content that gives strength. Buy Andy's book below. Worth every penny.

How to Build Max-Performance Mopar Big-Blocks by Andy Finkbeiner 9781613250921 | eBay

By the 1990s, the big Mopar engine was more popular than ever. The camshafts and lifters chapter compares and contrasts use of hydraulic flat tappet, hydraulic roller, and solid flat tappet cams. In addition, the book explains how to optimize fresh and spent fuel, discussing single- and...

www.ebay.com

 

[rklein71]

440source.com has an excellent article on big block information.

 

[Spyder]

440source.com has an excellent article on big block information.

You want a block that has the thickest cylinder walls. Std bore is golden, .030" over is OK if it cleans to . 040". For any 440 block and I don't care which year between 66 and 78, that needs to go .060" over bore needs to be sonic checked for core shift. I have a Starrett bore mic, God only knows what they cost now! You can get buy with a set of snap gauges and calipers. Get name brand like Starrett or Mitutoyo (Japanese is better than Chinese)! Also pay to have the block checked for cracks. Mopar blocks are tough. High nickel content that gives strength. Buy Andy's book below. Worth every penny.

http://[URL]https://www.ebay.com/it...eoJvu614whcF_jAPQrLWBk9ctvpLbf0RoC7NAQAvD_BwE

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Yep, ordered that book a couple days ago. Bought a brand new version so he'd make a buck off of it instead of a used one, too.

I plan on having the shop do all the checks and inspections done when I drop it off. I'd rather pay a little more and get it right the first time. I'm fairly sure this block I have in it now is .030 over, I'm hoping I can find a core local that will work as I'd like to keep this one in it for now since it can still move around under its own power for now.

 

[6PKRTSE]

Since it is not matching numbers. Make sure whatever block you find that you have the block sonic checked if you don't have a sonic checker to do it yourself.